Starship Foundation Bows Out of Mobile Recycling Programme

Starship Foundation Bows Out of Mobile Phone Recycling Programme

After more than six years, over 1 million phones donated, and in excess of $2.3 million raised for Starship’s National Air Ambulance, the Starship Foundation has decided to retire from the Mobile Phone Appeal.

Starship Foundation Chief Executive Brad Clark says, “Thank you New Zealand! For 6 ½ years your old and unwanted phones have supported children in medical emergencies around the country to receive urgent critical care. When we partnered with the phone recycling company that is now Swapkit back in 2009, this was new fundraising territory and has proved a great benefit to many families across the country.”

However, the landscape has evolved and changed with recent experience suggesting that people are holding onto the new Smartphones for longer, selling them or passing them on to family and friends. This has meant the supply and value of phones available for recycling has diminished over time and for Starship, the programme has run its course.

Of course, recycling this technology and reducing hazardous waste in our landfills remains as important as ever, and 2degrees, Spark and Vodafone will continue to collect old handsets at their retail outlets around the country under the RE:MOBILE scheme, New Zealand’s only accredited phone recycling programme managed by the New Zealand Telecommunications Forum (TCF).

Mr Clark says the Starship Mobile Phone Appeal has delivered a significant and meaningful contribution to children’s health over many years but is no longer an effective way to raise money for Starship. As an organisation we are proud to have been part of a programme that has had significant environmental benefit with more than 150 tonnes of material having been saved from landfills since the Appeal began.

"We would particularly like to thank co-founder of the phone appeal, Swapkit NZ, in addition to 2degrees, Spark and Vodafone, along with Starship Foundation sponsors, hundreds of schools, kindergartens, businesses, Councils, government departments, and the many individuals who have made significant and generous donations to the phone appeal over the years,” he says.

Starship Mobile Phone Appeal partners will arrange for boxes and envelopes relating to the programme to be collected from outlets across the country in the coming weeks, so that they can no longer be used.

Starship supporters have many other ways to continue to contribute to the vital work of the national children’s hospital. Mr Clark noted that some businesses have recently made donations to Starship when they undertake institutional upgrades to new phones, employees are given the option to keep their existing handset to reuse in return for a donation to the Starship Foundation.

Many other businesses and individual supporters contribute through corporate sponsorship, community fundraising, bequests, regular and payroll giving, annual campaigns and volunteering to support the Foundation’s fundraising efforts. More details on how to offer support can be found at www.starship.org.nz/foundation.

ENDS

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